Baroness Amos: Further to my Answer on 24 February 2005 (Official Report, col. WA 218), the criteria were set by Waterways Ireland alone in line with their general requirements for posts at that level.

Baroness Amos: Details are held only in relation to those early release prisoners who come to the attention of the police while they are still under licence. At 24 March 2005, 28 of the individuals granted early release under the terms of the Northern. Ireland (Sentences) Act 1998 had been convicted of further offences while on licence.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: Such attacks are abhorrent. We have made, and continue to make clear to the government of Sudan that the perpetrators much be brought to justice.
	We understand that the African Union (AU) mission is increasingly co-ordinating its patrols to provide protection to women when they leave populated areas in search of food or firewood. Where this is happening we understand the number of reported rapes has decreased significantly and we are encouraging the AU to expand this practice.
	The UK has contributed over £66 million towards the Darfur crisis since September 2003, including £500,000 towards the International Rescue Committee's Darfur programme, and £2.1 million towards Médecins Sans Frontières' health programme. These both contain components to tackle attacks on women. We have also contributed more than £14 million towards the AU mission to date.

Lord Alton of Liverpool: asked Her Majesty's Government:
	What talks they have held with Minni Arkou, the Secretary General of the Sudanese Liberation Army (SLA), during his visit to London; and how they intend to respond to his request for United Kingdom involvement in peace-keeping in Darfur, Sudan, and for the United Kingdom to act as broker between the SLA and the Khartoum government.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: My department has not asked other government departments to submit two priority issues for the United Kingdom presidency of the European Union. However we have undertaken some work to identify dossiers which are likely to take centre stage during our presidency. We will focus first and foremost on the EU agenda we inherit from the Luxembourg presidency. We have played a key part in shaping this agenda, and it is positive for the UK. It demonstrates that the EU is moving in the right direction, reforming and delivering on the issues that matter to people—jobs, security and promoting peace and prosperity globally, as well as at home.
	My right honourable friend the Prime Minister is committed to using the opportunity offered by our twin presidencies of the EU and the G8 to make real progress on climate change and Africa. We will work with our G8 and EU partners to ensure complementary action wherever possible.
	We have identified a number of likely main priority dossiers within the broader agenda. However, the precise work programme—which also contains a wide range of other business—will continue to evolve, as it depends on the progress of business during the first half of the year and indeed on world events. Key dossiers on which we will focus include: better regulation; the services directive; the post-financial services action plan agenda—better implementation and enforcement of measures affecting the financial sector; the environment and sustainable development (including REACH—the chemicals directive); sugar reform; the Doha development agenda; development and Africa; climate change; transatlantic relations—in particular strengthening the economic partnership;, counter-terrorism; peace, stability and reform in the Middle East; Russia; Ukraine and Turkey.

Baroness Symons of Vernham Dean: The UK Government can confirm that Vinko Pandurevic surrendered voluntarily and was transferred to the International Criminal Tribunal for the former Yugoslavia (ICTY) in The Hague on 23 March 2005. Vujadin Popovic remains at large. The UK Government continues to work closely with partners, including the Russian Government, as well as with the ICTY, on all matters relating to the tribunal and outstanding fugitive indictees.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Interpretation Act 1978 provides that where a term is defined in the parent or enabling act (in this case the Electricity Act 1989) unless the contrary intention appears it will have the same meaning in subordinate legislation.
	Therefore it is not necessary to define the term in the Electricity (Applications for Licences, Modification of an Area and Extensions and Restrictions of Licences) Regulations unless we intended for it to have a different meaning than the Act.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The implications of the transitional provisions are that any applications that were made under previous regulations and were being processed when these regulations came into force would be deemed to be valid under the new regulations.
	In previous cases where we have produced amended regulations we have said that the applicant will need to provide any additional information required under the new regulations or something to state that no further information is required.
	However in this case, as there were no changes to the regulations that would affect outstanding applications (as the only change was the introduction of interconnector provisions), this was not necessary; therefore outstanding applications were automatically valid under this provision.

Lord Sainsbury of Turville: The Symantec research referred to by the noble Lord, supports my department's assessment that there is a challenge to raise awareness among home users on how to use the Internet safely and the sensible precautions they can take.
	The DTI is actively engaged in a wide range of activities aimed primarily at business users and the DTI information security website provides best practice guidance for businesses. My officials also regularly work with other government departments, law enforcement agencies and business in promoting awareness and best practice to all users. Current projects include developing warning, advice and reporting points (WARPS) to support user communities and promoting ITsafe (a Government website and alert service, providing users and small businesses with help to protect computers and other devices from malicious attacks). In the near future, Project Endurance, a collaborative project involving industry, law enforcement agencies and government departments such as the Cabinet Office, the Home Office and the DTI, will focus on awareness raising and crime prevention for home users.
	Of course, educating users is only one solution and there is work to be done in preventing the development and distribution of malicious software. UK law enforcement agencies continue to seek to detect and prosecute individuals in the UK involved in the creation and dissemination of this software, and where appropriate pass on details of such activity to counterparts in other jurisdictions. This is a global issue and my officials continue to work with industry, agencies and other governments in developing ways in which to minimise the impact of computer malware.